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I've been on a few guided hunts and have never seen this situation. Generally the guide knows where the animals are (or where they are supposed to be) and you go looking.

I'm no expert on guided hunts (never been on one), but I think what you describe is the way it works 95% of the time. Some guy's have tons of money and will spend whatever it takes to ensure a huge trophy. If that means having the outfitter employ 20 guides to get the job done, then that's what will happen. I love the pictures in trophy magazines of the rich DR. sitting behind his world class animal and 20 guides behind him with the outfitters hat and T-shirts on. Cracks me up!

Of course you would you live in Colorado and can scout. I agree, I'd take the ten too, but I live out west and scout. The above post you referenced refered to the guy living back east somewhere that had to go guided and really wanted a 350 or better bull and was older and was running out of time. In that case better to pay the money since he can afford it and get that big elk instead of trying on the cheap every year and then he wakes up 80 years old and no big elk.

I've been on a few guided hunts and have never seen this situation. Generally the guide knows where the animals are (or where they are supposed to be) and you go looking.

I know that 95% of outfitted hunts are like what you have been on. Have no problem with them. I'm talking about the hunts that get bought at auction by the uber wealthy like the spider bull. There was also a case a few years ago where some guides in Montana had a land owner, who normally allows access across his property, block the access cause they found a 200" ram and were waiting for their hunter to arrive. Guy Eastman actually posted about it on his blog, and then pulled it off.

Have unit 7 tag and will be hunting on private land near Wagonhound ranch so hope some the bulls move back and forth between the ranches. Will post results of hunt when I'm done. Thanks for all your comments.

If a guy wants to hunt high fence good for him. Hell, if someone wants to pay Mossback to hire 20 guides and babysit a bull until he can show up and shoot it with his $50,000 dollar tag then fine by me. Those guys have memories from those hunts as well as I do from my 100% DIY public land hunts. The one thing I disagree with is tags going to the rich that have come out of the public tag pool. As you have probably read in other posts I have commented on, public wildlife should not be auctioned off to the rich so the little guy looses opportunity. That is not the way the American hunting system is supposed to work. Raffle tags are one thing because everyone has a fair shake at getting the tag. As far as guided hunts go it is understandable that a guy that lives back east wants to do those. It is pretty hard to scout from NY if you are hunting in Colorado. Good luck to everyone hunting the rest of the fall, guided or not!

A bad day in the woods is better than a good day at work.
Shoot the best, Shoot PSE!

I've been on four DIY elk hunts in two states, and knowing what I know now am thankful that they were unsuccessful. The hiking, camping, hunting, part of it was all good, but getting a bull out of the deep mountains means that the hunting stops for everyone until the meat is out. I have started to use an outfitter for elk and managed to work my tail off to be successfull. All were in Wilderness areas and far enough back that I couldn't even get a deer out by myself. Too many people die with their points...get out and hunt before you can't. Carpe Diem

All I know is watching these guys pass on 350 class bulls and then harvesting 370 plus is not an indicator of real hunting unless you have drawn some sort premier tag. Yet the right amount of cash makes this a reality.

I hunt a few private farms here in Missouri, and pass on 125-130 inch whitetails all day long. Some years I kill a big buck, most years I don't. But, the hunting seems to be pretty real to me.

Just because a property isn't overrun with hunters, doesn't make it a canned or fake hunt.

My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.

Dont get me wrong. Im not against that. In fact, I do it too. Heck I'm even paying a fair amount of cash to go on a private land elk hunt.. But all of this is much easier that a public ground hunt. Just as high fence is easier than private ground. But to each is their own... You won't see me, a fellow hunter, judging another hunter for their style of hunting.

Dont get me wrong. Im not against that. In fact, I do it too. Heck I'm even paying a fair amount of cash to go on a private land elk hunt.. But all of this is much easier that a public ground hunt. Just as high fence is easier than private ground. But to each is their own... You won't see me, a fellow hunter, judging another hunter for their style of hunting.

I agree, and am with you, I'll never bag on a fellow hunter for doing it their own way.

My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.